Sunday, February 1, 2015

TOW #17 - If the Beef Doesn't Kill You - Visual


Shown here is an image produced by PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It showcases an attempt by Peta to convince people to not eat chicken, or not eat meat at all. It uses a mixture of traditional and visual rhetoric, as well as some well concealed logical fallacies in order to convince its audience of the dangers of meat consumption. First, they utilize evidence that uses unsure diction, such as "speculate" and "likely" while presenting the information as fact instead of possibility. Another strategy used is presenting potential risks of eating meat wihtout comparing it to what they present as a superior alternative, non-animal products such as fruits and vegetables. They say that "eating meat promotes heart disease, cance, stroke, obesity, and high blood pressure" without saying if vegetarian products do the same or not. PETA also utilizes a subtle logical fallacy by saying "The ONLY way to ensure tht meat won't kill you is to throw it out." This is a slippery slope, presenting information in such a way that makes the outcome appear far more drastic than it actually is. They also use a terrifyingly corny image of a chicken holding a gun pointed at the reader, which has an astounding effect in striking fear into the heart of us terrible carnivores. In fact, I think I'm going to become a vegetarian now. PETA's argument was extraordinarily effective, so much so that I have dropped my lifelong love of meat in fear of death. Thanks, PETA!

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